Israel Active

OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved explains why despite the challenges, Israel’s tech community remains fully mobilized, contributing significantly to stability and functionality during these testing times. He cites “multitasking, because of redundancies built in, and because frankly, this isn't our first rodeo.”

Ashdod is Israel’s largest port.  Just 20km from Gaza, and under constant rocket fire, it is operating 24/7, unloading cargo essential for Israel’s economy.

The AI-powered companion ElliQ (see previously) created by Israeli startup Intuition Robotics is being offered free to eligible adults over 60 in Coral Springs and Broward County South Florida.

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US tech giant Palo Alto is taking over Israel’s Talon Cyber Security (see previously) for at least $600 million. The announcement comes a week after Palo Alto announced the acquisition of another Israeli startup Dig Security (see previously) for around $400 million.

For $271 million, Israel’s Ormat Technologies (see previously) has bought six US energy sites in Utah, Nevada, Connecticut, and California.

Israel’s war against Hamas has not deterred foreign companies from continuing to search for new oil and gas deposits in Israeli waters. The Energy ministry has awarded 12 licenses to six companies, including BP and ENI, for natural gas exploration off the country’s Mediterranean coast.

Israel’s Kando (see previously) is helping maintain water quality for recycling or drinking in El Paso, Texas. Kando uses sensors distributed throughout the city’s sewers. They alert El Paso’s wastewater management about a possible pollution event so that they can investigate.  

Israel’s Arieli Capital (see previously) has launched its Southern Starlight Initiative that will allocate NIS 5 million for startups in the south of the country that were impacted by the Hamas terror attack on Oct 7. Arieli will also guide the startups through this period.

A group of leading venture capitalists and serial entrepreneurs have launched an emergency impact fund dubbed “Iron Nation”. It aims to raise $20 million to provide early-stage Israeli startups with a lifeline during the ongoing war.  The fund is backed by global tech & VC pro-bono volunteers.